Moscow will respond to NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s borders, President Vladimir Putin said at the emergency Security Council meeting in Moscow. Here are his key quotes on Russia’s defense, Western sanctions, and violence in eastern Ukraine.

On NATO'S missile system and Russia's defense

NATO forces have been increasing military presence in Eastern
European countries bordering Russia and sending warships to the
Baltic and Mediterranean due to the escalation of the Ukrainian
crisis. NATO has also stated that it will endorse new funding for
Ukraine's defense, blaming Russia for destabilizing the situation
in Ukraine.

“We shall provide an adequate and well-measured response to
NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s borders, and we shall take note
of [the West] setting up a global missile defense architecture
and building up its arsenals of precision-guided weapons,”
Putin said on Tuesday.

“No matter what our Western counterparts tell us, we can see
what’s going on. As it stands, NATO is blatantly building up its
forces in Eastern Europe, including the Black Sea and the Baltic
Sea areas. Its operational and combat training activities are
gaining in scale.”

Putin stated that NATO’s military build-up near Russia’s border
is not just for defense, but is an “offensive weapon” and an
“element of the US offensive system deployed outside the
mainland.”

“With that in mind, we need to promptly and diligently
implement all the measures we have planned to strengthen our
nation’s defense capabilities, including our plans for Crimea and
Sevastopol, where we will practically have to set up our military
architecture from scratch.”

On sanctions and sovereignty

Putin has criticized the rounds of sanctions that the US and EU
have imposed on Russia, which began during Crimea's accession to
Russia and continued after the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine.

“The very concept of the state sovereignty is becoming
diluted. Unwanted regimes and countries that are trying to
exercise independent policy or simply stand in the way of
someone’s interests are getting destabilized,” Putin said.

“Attempts aimed at destabilizing the social and political
situation, throwing off Russia and striking at its vulnerable and
soft spots have been and will be made,” he added.

According to Putin, Western states are trying to “make Russia
agreeable so that certain matters at the international arena are
resolved in favor of other countries.”

“The so-called competitive struggle at the international
arena will imply the use of tools in both economic and political
fields. This will include the potential of security services,
modern information and communication technologies, and
connections of dependent, puppet NGOs – the so-called soft
power,” Putin pointed out. “Apparently, some countries
regard it as democracy.”

Putin stressed that Russia has an edge over other states, as the
country isn’t a member of any alliance.

“Any alliance member countries lose part of their sovereignty
and it rarely goes in tune with the national interests of the
country. But it’s their sovereign decision.”

“On our part, we follow all the norms of international law
and fulfill our obligations to our partners. We expect other
countries and organizations, military and political alliances –
Russia is not a part of any alliance, and that underpins our
sovereignty – to take our national interests into
consideration.”

The president also pointed out that any controversial issues in
Russia will be “settled through diplomatic means only,”
with no other state meddling in the country's internal affairs.

Such methods that are used to pressure weak countries will not
work on Russia, he said, adding that they are “absolutely
unacceptable and counterproductive” and “undermining the current
world order.”

On Ukraine crisis and MH17 investigation

Internal problems are often used to trigger coups that are
financed from outside, Putin said.

“Of course, there always are some kinds of problems, but it
is not clear why one has to use them to completely destabilize
and destroy the country – what we often see recently in various
regions of the world.”

As a result of such coups, radical nationalist – or simply
neo-fascist, fundamentalist forces – come to power, which is what
happened in Ukraine, Putin said.

"Yes, after the coup, elections were held, but for some
reason again those who funded or carried out the coup became the
heads of state. The current authorities are using force trying to
silence the part of the population that disagrees with this
development," Putin noted with regret.

The international community has been calling on Russia to use its
influence on the eastern anti-government militia to cooperate in
the resolution of the crisis.

“We of course will do everything in our power but that is not
nearly enough,” the president said.

Putin believes the West must appeal to Kiev to honor its
ceasefire pledge.

Putin highlighted that Kiev should not fuel the conflict, citing
Tuesday’s incident when “the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked
Donetsk with their tanks” as the local militia were handing the
black box of the crashed MH17 over to experts.

“Tanks broke through to the train station and opened fire at
it. The international experts there could not even look out of
the windows,” said the Russian head of state. “It’s not
like the rebels are shooting at themselves.”